Collapsible chair



g- 8, 1967 M. KARL-OSWALD ERNST 3,334,943

COLLAPS IBLE CHAIR Filed April 6, 1966 INVENTOR I MAN/RED kmwosmmo ERA/S7 M gain-r ATTORNEYS 3,334,943 COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR Manfred Karl-Oswald Ernst, Regattastrasse 171, Berlin-Grunau, Germany Filed Apr. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 540,631 5 Claims. (Cl. 297-92) This invention relates to a collapsible chair, particularly for use in boats. The invention is specifically concerned with a boat chair of light metal tubes which is particularly suitable as a combined collapsible seat for general use and for the pilot.

In prior art there are very many constructions of chairs and seats for boats. In all of these constructions the seat for the steering mate or pilot is different from other chairs or benches. Since the pilot must have the best possible viewing facilities, he is usually provided with a high seat located higher than all the other seating accommodations of the boat. The problem of providing uniform seating facilities for the pilot as well as for all other people in the boat, has not been satisfactorily solved up to the present time. As a rule boats are now provided with chairs having a seat which is usually upholstered and a back rest which is also upholstered; they are fixed to a support consisting usually of a tubular frame of light metal.

Collapsible boat chairs of this type are also known, wherein the back rest can be swung relatively to the seat by means of a hinge. Seats or chairs for the pilot or steering mate are usually also provided with upholstered seats and back rests which are attached to a frame and which may be interconnected by hinges or joints. The frames whichhold the seat and the back rest may be also made of light metal tubes.

Mostly, there is a single support or a collapsible strut used for supporting these pilot chairs, whereby the chair in addition is swingably fixed to the inner surface of the front side wall of the boat. When the chair is not used any more by the pilot, for example, when a trip is finished, the strut is folded and the seat and back rest are collapsed sidewise. This folding results in an increase in the space within the boat but, as already stated, must be considered a drawback, since different seating arrangements must be constructed for the pilot and for other occupants of the boat. This results in increased cost for the construction of the interior of the boat. Furthermore, such chairs are fixed in space.

Besides these existing constructions other chairs are known, made of light metal tubes, consisting of a seat fixed to a tubular frame and a back rest, the supporting construction of these chairs being such that the chair may be collapsed by shear levers. However, such chairs can not be adjusted to various heights. Furthermore, the use of these chairs is limited, since in small boats they would require too much space.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks of prior art constructions and to provide a more economical arrangement of the interior of boats, particularly as far as seating accommodations are concerned.

Anotherobject of the invention is the provision of a collapsible boat chair which can be used in two different positions which can be set without great exertion, namely, as a normal boat seat as well as a pilots seat, the chair being movable in space.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it was found desirable to provide a chair the supporting frame of which consists of two bent U-shaped frame elements, one of which is longer than the other,

United States Patent 0 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 elements has upwardly extending rods. When the chair is in use, these two frame elements are joined by a further frame element which is provided at its ends with tubular loops receiving the ends of the shorter frame element. This third frame element is swingably connected to the longer frame element by a pin or the like. The back rest and the seat which are hung upon this supporting frame are fixed to still other bent U-shaped frame elements which are swingably held together upon each side by means of an angular metal piece.

The back rest or its frame element is swingably supported at the upper ends of the rods of the longer frame element. The seat or its frame element is held by yet another frame element, rotatably fixed to said shorter frame element when the chair is in its normal seating position. When the seat is collapsed, this last-mentioned frame element embraces the seat, while in the swung position it projects between the U-shaped frame elements of the seat and the back rest serving as a support and a stop; it also serves as a support for the angular metal pieces.

According to a further feature of the present invention the U-shaped frame element which connects the frame elements of the supporting frame, is provided with arm rests and encloses the back rest in the normal seating position of the chair. All frame elements are preferably of tubular structure.

The chair of the present invention has the particular advantage that it can be used as a normal boat seat and can be changed into a raised seat for the pilot without any substantial reconstruction or any other constructional changes or adjustments.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the chair of the present invention in its normal seating position.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the same chair when used as a high seat.

FIGURE 3 shows the chair when it is folded.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the chair in the high seat position, looking from the rear.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the chair of the present invention has a supporting frame consisting of two U- shaped bent frame elements 2 and 3 which are held together intermediate their ends by pins or pivots 8. Due to the provision of the pins 8 the frame elements 2 and 3 can be swung toward each other so as to fold the chair. The two U-shaped frame elements 2 and 3 are open upwardly and the U-shaped frame element 3 extending to the back rest 11 has extension rods 3a. The two U-shaped frame elements 2 and 3 are interconnected by a further frame element 6 in the open position of the chair. The frame element 6 has rod ends carrying separate tubular loops 12 into which the rod ends 2a of the frame element 2 can be inserted; the frame element 3 is pivotally connected with the frame element 6.

When the chair is being folded, the U-shaped frame element 6 is swung about the back rest 11 of the chair and holds it in place. Furthermore, the U-shaped frame element 6 is used for supporting the two arm rests 9.

The seat 10 and the back rest 11 are mounted on further U-shaped frame elements 4 and 5, respectively. The frame element 5 carrying the seat 10 is connected with the frame element 4 carrying the back rest 11 by angular metal pieces 7 located on opposite sides of the chair. The seat 10 and the back rest 11 are suspended in the supporting frames and are swingably mounted at the ends of the rods 3a in such manner that when the back rest 11 is swung about its horizontal axis to the extent of 90 it will become a high seat; the normal seat will automatically follow these movements and will become the high back rest. Thus a mere swinging of the seat 10 along with the back rest 11 will change the chair from a normal boat chair to a high seat for the pilot. The desired extent of the high position of the seat 10 depends only upon the length of the rods of the U-shaped frame element 3.

A further U-shaped frame element 1 is also swingably connected to the ends 2a of the shorter U-shaped frame element 2. The purpose of the frame element 1 is to hold the seat 10 when the chair is folded. For that purpose the frame element 1 extends around the seat 10 in such manner that the seat can lie upon the frame element 1. Furthermore, in the high position of the chair the frame element 1 serves as a support and a stop. The frame element 1 after having been swung to the extent of 180 engages in the high position under the connecting pieces 7 and extends directly into the space between the frame elements 4 and 5.

In order to change the chair from its high position to its normal position it is only necessary to swing the seat 10 with the back rest 11 and to provide a support by means of the U-shaped frame element 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the chair of the present invention is collapsible. The folding of the chair is effected by the scissors-like arrangement of the frame elements constituting its legs, while the seat and the back rest can be easily folded.

It is apparent that the example described above has been given solely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that it is capable of many variations and modifications within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the chair of the present invention can be used not only in boats as a combined passengers seat and a high pilot seat, but also for a variety of other purposes, as an adjustable high stool for children, as an adjustable high chair for observers or referees of games, etc. All such variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible chair swingable from a low seat position to a high seat position, said chair comprising in combination, two U-shaped frame elements constituting the legs of the chair, pins swingably interconnecting the legs of said frame elements intermediate their ends, the legs of one of said U-shaped elements having upwardly projecting extension rods, a further U-shaped frame element having legs swingably connected intermediate their ends to said rods and tubular loops carried by the ends of these legs and fitting into the ends of the legs of the other one of the two first-mentioned frame elements, two further U-shaped frame elements, a seat suspended from one of the two last-mentioned frame elements, a back rest suspended from the other one of the two lastmentioned frame elements, angular metal pieces interconnecting the two last-mentioned frame elements, the legs of one of the two last-mentioned frame elements being swingably connected intermediate their ends to the ends of said extension rods, a still further U-shaped frame element having ends swingably connected to the ends of the legs of the other one of the two first-mentioned frame elements, the last-mentioned frame element engaging under said angular metal pieces in the high seat position of the chair to constitute a support and a stop, said seat constituting a back rest in the high seat position of the chair and said back rest constituting a seat in the high seat position of the chair.

2. A collapsible chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein all of the frame elements consist of tubes.

3. A collapsible chair in accordance with claim 2, wherein the third-mentioned frames element embraces said back rest in the low seat position of the chair.

4. A collapsible chair in accordance with claim 3, comprising arm rests carried by the third-mentioned frame element.

5. A collapsible chair in accordance with claim 4, comprising rubber feet carried by the lower ends of the two first-mentioned frame elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 28,166 5/1860 Ewing 297-93 2,019,266 10/1935 Mielves 29792 X 2,383,039 8/ 1945 Bushnell 297-35 2,784,768 3/ 1957 Holopainen 29793 3, 1 75,861 3/ 1965 Tcherniavsky 29793 3,188,133 6/1965 Tewksbury 29792 X 3,246,926 4/ 1966 Link 297-93 FOREIGN PATENTS 595,948 12/ 1947 Great Britain.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Examiner. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR SWINGABLE FROM A LOW SEAT POSITION TO A HIGH SEAT POSITION, SAID CHAIR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, TWO U-SHAPED FRAME ELEMENTS CONSTITUTING THE LEGS OF THE CHAIR, PINS SWINGABLY INTERCONNECTING THE LEGS OF SAID FRAME ELEMENTS INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS, THE LEGS OF ONE OF SAID U-SHAPED ELEMENTS HAVING UPWARDLY PROJECTING EXTENSION RODS, A FURTHER U-SHAPED FRAME ELEMENT HAVING LEGS SWINGABLY CONNECTED INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS TO SAID RODS AND TUBULAR LOOPS CARRIED BY THE ENDS OF THESE LEGS AND FITTING INTO THE ENDS OF THE LEGS OF THE OTHER ONE OF THE TWO FIRST-MENTIONED FRAME ELEMENTS, TWO FURTHER U-SHAPED FRAME, ELEMENTS, A SEAT SUSPENDED FROM ONE OF THE TWO LAST-MENTIONED FRAME ELEMENTS, A BACK REST SUSPENDED FROM THE OTHER ONE OF THE TWO LASTMENTIONED FRAME ELEMENTS, ANGULAR METAL PIECES INTERCONNECTING THE TWO LAST-MENTIONED FRAME ELEMENTS, THE LEGS OF ONE OF THE TWO LAST-MENTIONED FRAME ELEMENTS BEING SWINGABLY CONNECTED INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS TO THE 